V drive Hydraulic Steering

[HAP]

Here is my hydraulic steering set up. I bought a Jastram balanced 7" throw commercial cylinder on Ebay. After lots of research, I settled on the Seastar Pro helm pump. I customized all of my rigging to achieve a 2 turn system with the 2.4 pump. Very happy with the set-up and the pump quality matched to the high-end cylinder. I would only recommend the PRO pump as it produces higher pressure and requires the special high pressure hoses. My rudder is an overkill 1 1/4" shaft.
R,
HAP

 

[HAP]

Here's the rest of the boat.

 

[Concept Marine]

HERE IS A 21 WE DID

 

[vdcruiser]

That's impressive to say the least. Care to comment on the parts used ?

 

[Nailhead]

That is awesome, everything out of the way and clean.

HERE IS A 21 WE DID

 

[jmeads]

That's impressive to say the least. Care to comment on the parts used ?

x 2, would like to know as well. Very clean looking.

 

[lenmann]

RDP got some work in progress shots last year in the thread linked below. The guys at Concept took a really innovative approach to keeping the whole steering mechanism compact and mechanically efficient. They are dong some beautiful work on this RC.

https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/concept-marine-custom-21schiada-build.185867/

 

[28skater]

Did that boat ever get finished?

 

[025]

I've had both the command 2 dual cable and full hydraulic. The command 2 was a great steering but I don't think you can get parts for it anymore. Feedback is minimal to about 60-80mph with a good trailing rudder.

The full hydraulic is awesome to drive at any speed and really shines 50-100+ no feed back and solid. Put the steering wheel where you want it and you can take your hands off and it will stay. Feel is light, similar to dual cable. It will steer with the motor off but requires quite a bit of pressure.

Down side is the cost and involvement in rigging. I think 3500 is on the absolute low end it could cost. I could see 3500 for parts alone. 500 for charlynne. +/- 800 for pump, 2500 for ram or duals. Steering post needs some machining, brackets made etc. Pump needs pulleys, brackets, reservoir etc. Still need hoses or hard lines. I like ptfe. Probably the most involved is the mounting of the rams and tiller set up. This all adds up. Here's some pics of one I did a couple years ago for ideas. This one was involved. There's many different ways to do it. I think concept has a pretty good solution right now

.

 

[lenmann]

Holy crap! that piece is beautiful! There was a big slug of chips in the pan on that deal.

 

[Blownbillybob]

I did a zeiger single balanced ram and a charlynn 55cc helm on my 21 Schiada. Also used a KRC power steering pump. Worked amazing!



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Does anybody know who makes this power steering pump bracket/mount I already called KRC they don’t make it???

 

[Blownbillybob]

 

[SFV2RVR]

Does anybody know who makes this power steering pump bracket/mount I already called KRC they don’t make it???

It was custom made. Not something you can buy off the shelf.


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[Blownbillybob]

It was custom made. Not something you can buy off the shelf.


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Got it!! Thanks. I think I found a solution??

 

[Blownbillybob]

It was custom made. Not something you can buy off the shelf.


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Did u run a cooler for the power steering?

 

[SFV2RVR]

Did u run a cooler for the power steering?

Yes a small one. It’s been a while and I don’t remember where I bought it though.


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[Blownbillybob]

K. I got a small 1 off a 350 merc I can use
Thanks

 

[Blownbillybob]

So the ram I picked up that’s rated at 2000psi has a nylon piston that is cracked luckily I had to take it apart to do some modifications and found it???

 

[Outdrive1]

Does anybody know who makes this power steering pump bracket/mount I already called KRC they don’t make it???

Alexi makes mounts for that pump. I had one on my motor as well.

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[Outdrive1]

Did u run a cooler for the power steering?

I had a cooler also.

K. I got a small 1 off a 350 merc I can use
Thanks

You run it on the return low pressure side.

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[Paul Kane]

Hello ! Long time lurker, decided to register and share some build photos.
We installed a SeaStar inboard hydraulic system in our Glen-L Hot Rod :

SeaStar 2.0 Sport Tilt Pro hydraulic Helm.

To mount the cylinder within the stringers, we fabricated a
slave tiller arm which connects to the central tiller arm via an
adjustable tie bar.

We quickened the steering action to 3 turns lock-to-lock by using a SeaStar 2.0 Sport Tilt Pro hydraulic Helm displacing 2 cu.in./rev. and a SeaStar BA125-7ATM cylinder. Hydraulic lines were plumbed with seamless annealed copper tubing.​

Click here to see the installation photos.

____________________
Paul Kane
Kane Custom Boats Ltd.
Chelsea, Quebec

Building the Glen-L Hot Rod : http://www.kanecustomboats.com
Glen-L Hot Rod build thread
Kane Custom Boats YouTube channel
Glen-L Boat Video Directory

Forum Support Knowledge Base

 

[Blownbillybob]

Nice!! This is a friend of mines father n laws Glen L kit with a 430 Lincoln

 

[Rickybobby]

Ok maybe a stupid question. Does the tiller arm geometry change when hydraulics are introduced?? I want to install a system in my 24 (50 year old cable system in my boat sucks), but I need/want a new tiller arm.

 

[Racey]

Ok maybe a stupid question. Does the tiller arm geometry change when hydraulics are introduced?? I want to install a system in my 24 (50 year old cable system in my boat sucks), but I need/want a new tiller arm.

Yes, and the dual link don't work correctly on geometry.

Ram should be mounted directly to the tiller, or a single link arm used (in the dual links pictured in this thread one is sloppy and slotted all it does is acts as a backup if the first one breaks.

After years of working on these things i think the best combo is a single ram on it's normal clevis pivot, with the working end coupled directly to the tiller. A balanced ram isn't really necessary or that noticeable when you are driving (especially if you have a smaller rod diameter one that has a more even unbalance of volume). Less plumbing than dual rams, easier when you need to drop the rudder and work on anything.

Imco's 5/8" diameter shaft rams are great for this application.

 

[Rickybobby]

Does anyone build billet tiller arms?? Single hole, for the ram.

 

[lenmann]

call ron at IMCO, usually an 8" stroke 5/8" rod single ram and their smallest CC helm is about ideal for a vdrive, it's about 4 turns lock to lock if i remember correctly, 1.5 turns in one direction and 2.5 in the other (this is because you are using a single ram that is unbalanced. You won't notice it when driving. If you want to have balanced steering you either need to use two rams, or a balanced ram (IMCO doesn't make those). As i've gotten older i tend to appreciate the simpler setups, and a single ram just makes for a much cleaner installation, less hoses, less bracketry, easier to clean and work on. And still many magnitudes stronger than a cable setup.

702-294-3030 IMCO NV

@Racey I spoke to Ron today and ordered up these components for my RC. Super knowledgeable and helpful guy, a pleasure to do business with. Thanks for the lead.

I started modeling up what I think the ram mount and tiller might look like and I found myself wondering how much rudder rotation left and right is typical, and what establishes the steering stops?

 

[Cherry Pop]

Can anyone recommend a shop in Havasu that can do a hydraulic conversion on my V-drive?

 

[jstnoc]

I have an extra brand new balanced ram that I wont be using if anyone is interested? 1100

 

[Cherry Pop]

Hydraulic steering on a v-drive is the shit, We put it on the last 22 day cruiser we built, Dunsmore put it on Herbst's 21, and Lynch's 21 also has it....

The stuff is amazing, really eliminates arm fatigue and let's you worry more about driving the boat rather than holding the wheel.

The only thing is it's pretty expensive to do it right, Char-Lynn powered steering is the only way to go, so between the pump, cooler, hoses, helm, collumn, etc you have spent near $2k in parts alone, plus rams, if you want a balanced system (even # of turns left to right) you need to run dual rams, or a balanced single ram (the kind where the shaft protrudes out both sides....

You are looking at $3,500 to $4,000 for the setup.

Since Teleflex bought Morse out and stopped making the command 2 rotary steering (the red cable type) almost every new v-drive v-bottom is going to full hydraulic, look at all new Schiadas, Danny's DCM etc, there is just no other option for good strong AND comfortable steering, Calgo works but it is always under constant wheel tension, you have to drive with both hands at all times, it's one thing to have this type of feel on a flat bottom but on a pleasure boat it sucks. It's a shame that they stopped producing the the Command 2 cable steering because it was far superior, had very good wheel feel, and cost about 1/6th what full hydraulic does....

Can you recommend a shop in Havasu to do this conversion?

 

[jstnoc]

Can you recommend a shop in Havasu to do this conversion?

What kind of boat? Manufacturer and length?

 

[Cherry Pop]

What kind of boat? Manufacturer and length?

2007 22' Centurion Enzo, from the factory with the 525 efi. This was Centurion's own boat that they built for a towing tournament. Has about 100 hrs on it.

 

[Cherry Pop]

2007 22' Centurion Enzo, from the factory with the 525 efi. This was Centurion's own boat that they built for a towing tournament. Has about 100 hrs on it.

 

[jstnoc]

Try Wolf Watersports

 

[Cherry Pop]

Try Wolf Watersports

Thanks, I'll give them a call tomorrow